Drew Smith
ESSC 311
2nd Grade Lesson Plan
Standard: E.FE.02.21- Describe how rain collects on the surface of the Earth and
flows downhill into bodies of water (streams, rivers, lakes, oceans) or into the
ground.
The Teaching Process
Lesson Overview: After the completion of this lesson, the students will be able to:
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
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Identify how water moves downhill
Discuss how water collects into bodies of water
Discuss how water flows into the ground
Materials: (Per group)
 Tray (to hold water)
 Soil
 Scoop or spoon
 Food coloring
 Water
 Cup/beaker
 Books (to tilt tray)
 Tupperware lids
 Sponges or cotton swabs
5E Lesson Plan Format:
Engage: The students will be shown a video on a website that explains how rain is
collected and flows downhill into drainages, streams, and large bodies of water. The video
is located at http://vimeo.com/11060142. After, the video will be followed by an
interactive look at the way water moves located on the site below.
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/kids/flash/flash_watercycle.html. This site will help
explain how water is absorbed into the ground.
Explore: The students will get into groups of two and create their watershed models using
the materials provided: glass dish, soil, Tupperware lids, sponges or cotton swabs, and
books to tilt the model. The watershed is created by putting soil into the glass dish, and
placing the sponge on one end of the dish, and the lid just in front of the sponge. The model
will be tilted and then the colored water will be poured over the model, which will show
where the lakes and streams are. The lid will act as the body of water, and the sponge or
cotton will act as the soil absorbing the water. The water will be visible when absorbed by
the sponge or cotton and then by looking at the bottom of the glass dish. Before proceeding
with the activity the teacher will explain the set-up process for the watershed model.
During the activity the teacher will visit each group to see how the students are doing, if
help is needed the teacher will assist. The students will be asked to pay close attention to
how the water flows, where it collects, and where it is absorbed. Discussion between
students should be encouraged.
Explain: Here, we will discuss the students’ findings resulting from the explore activity as
a class. The teacher will go further on to explain that a watershed is the area of land where
all of the water that is under it or drains off of it goes into the same place. Watersheds vary
in shapes and sizes. They cross county, state, and national boundaries. The teacher will
explain to the students that the term associated with rain flowing downhill to bodies of
water is called surface runoff. It is named this because the water runs off the surface into
the bodies of water because the ground is at full capacity and the excess water from rain,
meltwater, or other sources flows over the land. Sometimes the water does not soak into
the ground because the water is running over a surface such as a rock that does not allow
water to be absorbed, or sometimes because of the grade of the land is too steep. Next, the
teacher will discuss the rain flowing down hill into the ground. The rain is able to flow into
the ground because it is a porous or spongy surface. The water flows into the ground and
is absorbed by things such as plants, or collects into underground aquifers.
Vocabulary:
Surface runoff- Water flow that occurs when soil is at full capacity and the excess water
from rain, meltwater, or other sources flows over the land.
Capacity- The ability to contain or hold things, like liquid.
Absorb- To suck up or take up; a sponge absorbs water.
Grade- A slope or gradual increase in height of the ground, like a hill or mountain.
Porous- Able to be filled with water.
Aquifer- Water that collects underground. Supplies water for wells, and springs. For better
terms, it’s like an underground lake.
Elaborate: For this activity the students will think about how water flows. They will be
given a few questions; “Why is it important for water to flow down?” “ What if water did
not flow down?” “What would happen to our rivers, ponds, lakes, and oceans?” They will be
asked to write down their answers to the questions on a piece of paper that they will be
handing in at the end of class. The students will then draw a diagram of where water goes
when it falls to the surface. They must include some of the vocabulary discussed earlier in
class, and must label the bodies of water, and the direction the water is flowing.
Evaluate: The student’s answers to the question provided by the teacher will be graded
along with the diagrams they created.
Resources:
 http://vimeo.com/11060142.
 http://www.epa.gov/safewater/kids/flash/flash_watercycle.html.
 http://www.cacaponinstitute.org/Lesson Plans/PWC Watershed Lesson Plans.pdf
 http://people.emich.edu/tkovacs/